LAL23 is an April 1947 car.
Rich Oakley wrote:
Dad used to talk to the owners and write down details about their car. He has LAL23 down as 1946. I also have the photo he took and it has the back number plate light type before the nose shaped one that later splits have from 1947.
Dad's list of VWs at VW Action back in the 1970s as said earlier, and he was pleased to get each consecutive year of split production from 1946-1952:
1946 - LAL 23, Derek Smith
1947 - JLT 420, Colbourne's Garages
1948 - 1948 VW, Jim Murray
1949 - TJJ 62, Rod Sleigh
1950 - 10 BXK, Tony Levy
1951 - SLH 16, Derek Smith
1952 - MRT 308, John Miller
1956 VW Beetle, 1962 Morris Minor, 1968 VW Beetle (Old Blue), 1972 Morris Mini, 2005 MGTF
Blue, blue, Electric Blue, that's the colour of Old Blue!